'hello network'

Google might have axed Orkut a couple of years ago, but the social network's spirit is living on. Its namesake Orkut Büyükkökten has launched Hello, a follow-up social service that tries a unique angle to reel you in.

Rather than compete directly with giants like Facebook, it has you choosing 'personas' (such as clubber, geek, photographer or traveler) that reflect your interests. You can browse those personas to find like-minded fans, and an algorithm helps tailor both your friend suggestions and your news stream.

It's hard to say whether or not this will work. Although Hello isn't trying to directly compete with the heavyweights, it still has to fight against inertia and convince you to join another network. When Facebook has over 1.7 billion active users, it's almost certain that like-minded hobbyists are already there.